syllable en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- audio Colorado
- /ˈsɪl.ə.bəl/ (Australia, Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
- [ˈsɪl.ə.bɫ̩] (Australia, Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
- audio Gloucestershire
Etymology
From Middle English syllable, sillable, syllabylle, sylabul, from Anglo-Norman sillable, from Old French sillebe, from Latin syllaba, from Ancient Greek συλλαβή (sullabḗ), from συλλαμβάνω (sullambánō, “to gather together”), from συν- (sun-, “together”) + λαμβάνω (lambánō, “to take”).
Meanings
-
A unit of human speech which often forms words corresponding to one opening of the mouth; a vowel and its surrounding consonants.
I wanted to look up velleity and quotidian and memorize the fuckers for all time, spell them, learn them, pronounce them syllable by syllable—vocalize, phonate, utter the sounds, say the words for all they're worth.
2007, Don DeLillo, Underworld: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Scribner Classics, →ISBN, page 543:
- The written representation of a given pronounced syllable.
-
A small part of a sentence or discourse; anything concise or short; a particle.
In none of my travels did I ever meet him or learn a syllable of his whereabouts.
1861, E. J. Guerin, Mountain Charley, page 22:Then let them caſt backe their eyes vnto former generations of men, and marke what was done in the prime of the world. Seth, Enoch, Noah, Sem, Abraham, Iob, and the reſt that liued before any ſyllable of the law of God was written, did they not ſinne as much as wee doe in euery action not commanded?
[1594], Richard Hooker, “The fourth Scripture proofe”, in J[ohn] S[penser], editor, Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], 3rd edition, London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC, book II, page 60:Th'Archbyſhop Is the Kings hand, and tongue, and who dare ſpeak One ſyllable againſt him?
1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], page 227, column 1:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| syllabe | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| syllab | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| syllables | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
quinquesyllable · semisyllabic · words of one syllable · closed syllable · dodecasyllable · hexasyllable · octosyllable · plurisyllable · checked syllable · septisyllable · midsyllable · syllabify · polysyllabic · trisyllable · syllabification · open syllable · decasyllable · syllabatim · disyllable · monosyllable · semisyllable · free syllable · oligosyllable · syllable timing · multisyllable · enneasyllable · polysyllable · intersyllable · ambisyllabic · pentasyllable · in words of one syllable · protosyllable · hendecasyllable · syllabary · heptasyllable · quadrisyllable · duodecasyllable · syllabic · sesquisyllable · foresyllable · syllable-timed · duosyllable · syllable weight
Meronyms
Relateds
Translations (119)
tk bogun (unit of speech) · ky муун (unit of speech) · grc συλλαβή (unit of speech) · lo ພະຍາງ (unit of speech) · am ክፍለ ቃል (unit of speech) · bn সিল্যাব্ল (unit of speech) · nl syllabe (unit of speech) · cs slabika (unit of speech) · ar مَقْطَع (unit of speech) · id suku kata (unit of speech) · sw silabi (unit of speech) · sa अक्षर (unit of speech) · ps سيلاب (unit of speech) · sl zlog (unit of speech) · nb stavelse (unit of speech) · af lettergreep (unit of speech) · az heca (unit of speech) · la syllaba (unit of speech) · fa-ira سیلاب (unit of speech) · dsb złožka (unit of speech) · hy վանկ (unit of speech) · rm silba (unit of speech) · nrf syllabe (unit of speech) · tl pantig (unit of speech) · pi vaṇṇa (unit of speech) · ka მარცვალი (unit of speech) · lb Silb (unit of speech) · kmr hece (unit of speech) · el συλλαβή (unit of speech) · cmn 音節 /音节 (unit of speech) · tg ҳиҷо (unit of speech) · gl sílaba (unit of speech) · br silabenn (unit of speech) · ur اَکْشَر (unit of speech) · nn staving (unit of speech) · he הֲבָרָה (unit of speech) · uk склад (unit of speech) · ug بوغۇم (unit of speech) · is samstafa (unit of speech) · fr syllabe (unit of speech) · bg сри́чка (unit of speech) · nl lettergreep (unit of speech) · xal ниилвр (unit of speech) · hi अक्षर (unit of speech) · sk slabika (unit of speech) · km ព្យាង្គ (unit of speech) · ca síl·laba (unit of speech) · ru слог (unit of speech) · ro silabă (unit of speech) · ms suku kata (unit of speech) · lv zilbe (unit of speech) · pl sylaba (unit of speech) · tr hece (unit of speech) · be склад (unit of speech) · ba ижек (unit of speech) · th พยางค์ (unit of speech) · ko 음절 (unit of speech) · mn үе (unit of speech) · tt иҗек (unit of speech) · fi tavu (unit of speech) · sv stavelse (1,2) (unit of speech) · zza hece (diq) (unit of speech) · li lèttergreep (unit of speech) · fo stavilsi (unit of speech) · yi טראַף (unit of speech) · nog бувын (unit of speech) · fa-ira هِجا (unit of speech) · vi âm tiết (unit of speech) · hi हिजा (unit of speech) · bn অক্ষর (unit of speech) · kne gedwan di kali (unit of speech) · sa वर्ण (unit of speech) · uz boʻgʻin (unit of speech) · et silp (unit of speech) · th คำ (unit of speech) · sh сло̏г (unit of speech) · kk буын (unit of speech) · ps هجا (unit of speech) · pt sílaba (unit of speech) · ga siolla (unit of speech) · id silabel (unit of speech) · ia syllaba (unit of speech) · nb staving (unit of speech) · sq rrokje (unit of speech) · hu szótag (unit of speech) · zu uhlamvu class 11/10 (unit of speech) · cy sill (unit of speech) · ur شَبْد اَنْش (unit of speech) · ar مَقْطَع لَفْظِيّ (unit of speech) · uz hijo (unit of speech) · mi kūoro (unit of speech) · vo silab (unit of speech) · ja 音節 (unit of speech) · da stavelse (unit of speech) · my ဝဏ္ဏ (unit of speech) · ur ہِجا (unit of speech) · eo silabo (unit of speech) · id wanda (unit of speech) · crh eca (unit of speech) · mk слог (unit of speech) · hrx Silleb (unit of speech) · pl zgłoska (unit of speech) · bn পদাংশ (unit of speech) · gd lide (unit of speech) · it sillaba (unit of speech) · is atkvæði (unit of speech) · cy sillaf (unit of speech) · pdt Silb (unit of speech) · mt sillaba (unit of speech) · hi शब्दांश (unit of speech) · rsk склад (unit of speech) · sh slȍg (unit of speech) · mi haupū (unit of speech) · kmr kîte (unit of speech) · ru склад (unit of speech) · lt skiemuo (unit of speech) · gu અક્ષર (unit of speech) · de Silbe (unit of speech) · es sílaba (unit of speech)